Anxious friends and relatives of people missing since the London bomb attacks have been hunting for their loved ones.

The Scotland Yard casualty hotline on 0870 156 6344 has already received over 100,000 calls and police are trying to work out how many people are missing.

Many of those desperate to find loved ones have gone to the four blast sites and displayed posters of the missing.

Others have spent the day visiting hospitals, hoping that doctors and nurses would recognise their pictures.

For relatives of Martine Wright, 32, who is thought to have been on a Liverpool Street to Aldgate Train at about 0900 BST, the search paid off when she was located in a London hospital, although in a critical condition.

He has not contacted a single one of his friends and relatives since Thursday morning and his mobile phone is constantly on voicemail

In a statement the family said: "We have tried all means of getting in touch with Richard and would welcome news from anyone who may have seen him or knows where he is."

And friends of Anthony Fatayi-William have been searching hospitals since he disappeared on his way to work in central London.

He is thought to have tried to make his way to work by bus after delays on the Northern Line prevented him getting to his job near Liverpool Street station.

His friend Amrit Walia said: "We understand the police have a job to do, but it is agonising to sit and wait, which is all they have advised us to do."

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has been put in charge of government support for the families of victims of the London bombings.

Mrs Jowell, who was made responsible for supporting British victims of the September 11 attacks and the Asian tsunami, has already liaised with the Metropolitan Police and voluntary agencies as part of her role.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke said people were desperately trying to help.